Listening is a skill that is essential. The importance of learning how to actively listen is critical to true communication and understanding. This article explores the dynamics of listening starting with the core components of active listening:
- Comprehending
- Retaining
- Responding
Source: Farnam Street, July 3, 2017.
Listening is difficult because it involves suppressing your ego long enough to consider what is being said before you respond. To be an active listener, we must try to go beyond the words and form a rich picture of the other person’s emotions and intentions.
INSIGHTS: Two sections, 1) active listening and overcoming cognitive biases followed by 2) active listening as a means of overcoming conversational narcissism serve to support the need to develop our active listening skills.